clinical interview Flashcards
How are clinical interviews used in psychological investigations?
Another form of test used in psychiatry (less so in psychology) is clinical interviews and also get a score for diagnosis.
Clinical interviews are not completely subjective. Questions are asked which map on to a specific diagnosis. We can also do single case studies when you find someone with a conditions and describe it in detail - especially done when the field/condition is new.
What are the demographics of a psychological history?
- Name
- Age
- Gender
- Employment
- Relationship status
- Children
- [Summary of diagnoses]
What are the presenting circumstances of a psychological history?
- Circumstances of presentation
- Context of presentation
- Timeline of problems
- Precipitating events
- Perception of problems
Under what circumstances could someone come to a psychiatrist?
- under a section 136 - when someone is brought in from the public place by a police officer for example, someone who was acting in a manner suggesting they may be suffering from a mental disorder and in need of care and control
- Referred by their GP
- Present to A+E in crisis with suicidal feelings or following self harm or suicide attempts
- Referral from other specialists
Timeline of problems can be years apart.
What are the essential areas of affective symptoms on a psychological history?
- core symptoms
- somatic
- psychology
What are the core symptoms in history taking?
- Low mood - feeling unhappy, sad, down.
- Poor energy/fatigue
- Anhedonia - inability to feel pleasure
What are the somatic symptoms in a psychological history?
- Poor appetite (or increased)
- Weight loss (or increased)
- Insomnia (or hypersomnia) - typically wake up tired, unrefreshed, but unable to return to sleep
- Loss of libido - women is mainly loss of interest, in men sexual dysfunction can be caused by depression or by antidepressants, but in general the effect on libido of depression is mainly loss of interest rather than erectile dysfunction/vaginal dryness.
- Poor concentration/short-term memory
What are the psychological symptoms in a psychological history?
- Helplessness
- Hopelessness
- Worthlessness
- Guilt
- Suicidal thoughts - have to ask about it. Direct approach often appreciated by patients, talking about it openly rather than making it a taboo subject to encourage people to give honest answers.
- [psychotic]
How can we split symptoms?
Can split symptoms into affective and psychotic. Always want to ask about related symptoms, not just the initially obvious ones.
Affective means to do with mood - affect is like saying the weather specifically today, but mood is saying that it is January so what it is like normally (in context)
A normal mood should fluctuate throughout the day/week and with events.
What is needed to diagnose depression?
For depression has to be consistent low mood, most of the day, most of the days, for two weeks or more. Typically lowest in the mornings and evenings, more severe more the time.
By ICD-10 need 2 core and 2 associated for mild depression.
Moderate: 2 core and 4 associated
Severe: 3 core and 6 associated
Psychotic: must be severe + psychosis
What needs to be asked about suicide in a history?
- Nature and duration of any suicidal thoughts
- Intent
- Plans
- Previous suicidal behaviour
- Deliberate self harm
Intent - many people have suicidal fantasies but wouldn’t ever act on it
What is asked about psychosis in history taking?
- Open questioning - have you had any other unusual experiences recently, like seeing or hearing things that other people cant that shouldn’t be there. Any other worries that we haven’t talked about, like people trying to harm you or send you special messages?
- Delusions
- Hallucinations
What other areas are asked about in a history?
- Anxiety - becomes pathological when it is of frequency or intensity that it interferes with your ability to function (socially, occupationally, etc)
- Gender identity
- ADHD - hyperactivity symptoms and inattention symptoms
- Eating disorders
- Paraphilias - a condition characterized by abnormal sexual desires, typically involving extreme or dangerous activities
- PTSD
- Memory
- Substance use
Past psychiatric history
- Previous diagnoses
- Previous hospitalisations
- Previous treatments
Past medical history
- Comorbid medical problems
- Particularly metabolic disorders
- Recent blood tests
- Head injuries/CNS surgery
Social history
- Current home circumstances
- People at home, relations and ages
- PoC - package of care
- Employment/income
- Financial situation
Family history
- history of illnesses in family
- include relation and age
Drug history
- psychoactive medication
- others
- allergies
Substance history
- alcohol
- tobacco
- recreational drugs
- OTC
- herbal treatments